The present invention relates generally to outdoor cooking devices, such as a barbeque grill, and more particularly to a barbeque charcoal grill having a frame assembly that provides support structure for a cooking chamber, and one or more work surfaces.
Barbecue grills are very widely used today. One popular type of barbecue grill is referred to as a kettle-type grill, which utilizes a cooking chamber in the form of a barbeque kettle. A barbecue kettle may consist of a generally semi-spherical bottom bowl that has a circular opening with a cooking grid located slightly below the upper rim of the bowl. A generally semi-spherical top cover can be placed on the bottom bowl to enclose the barbecue kettle. The barbecue kettle is supported on a leg arrangement. One popular type of such a kettle grill configuration is a registered trademark of the Assignee of the present invention, Weber-Stephen Products Company.
A feature that has become quite popular with barbecue grills is a work surface attached to the cart frame of the grill. One or more work surfaces are desirable and convenient because they provide a surface upon which food and food preparation items, such as spices, sauces, utensils, plates, etc., can be placed while the food is being prepared. These work surfaces are also usually disposed immediately adjacent to the cooking chamber on the grill frame. Some grill frame assemblies are designed in a cart style that can accommodate one or more work surfaces, while maintaining structural rigidity of the frame assembly.
Present charcoal grills typically do not provide an integral frame design that can accommodate a work surface while also accommodating the depth of the cooking chamber in a rigid frame assembly. Furthermore, present charcoal grills often do not provide a mobile cart structure with a frame assembly that can also support a work surface. One type of kettle grill structure marketed by the assignee of the present invention is the grill product known as the Performer(copyright) grill, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,788. The Performer(copyright) grill product is an example of a charcoal grill that does utilize a cart structure. Nevertheless, there is a need for a grill cart structure that is easy to manufacture and assemble, and while providing suitable attachment of a work surface.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a frame assembly for a barbecue grill that supports a work surface and the grill cooking chamber in a rigid manner while minimizing assembly parts and maintaining ease of assembly and manufacturability. This need is addressed by the present invention, as recently introduced by the product marketed by the Assignee of the invention in the grill having the ornamental appearance disclosed and claimed in co-pending application Ser. No. 29/116,086. That Application relates to the ornamental design of a product which serves as an example of how the present invention may be used.
The present invention is a frame assembly for a barbecue grill that provides rigid support for a cooking chamber and a work surface disposed adjacent to the chamber. The frame assembly comprises at least two U-shaped frame members, each formed of a bended contiguous tubular material, with at least one support member disposed transverse to the U-shaped members attached thereto, such that the two U-shaped frame members are in a spaced relation to each other to create a space therebetween to accommodate a cooking chamber and a work surface.
In a particular embodiment, the support members each include receivers that engage a portion of the U-shaped frame members. The receiver are formed by cooperation of a channel portion and a clamping portion at each end of the support member. Preferably, the clamping portion is formed of a clamping member that includes a portion that is complementary to the channel portion of the support member, to form the receiver as a gripping collar for engaging the tubular material. The engaged portion of the U-shaped frame members is along an extent of the tubular material which defines a clamping height that is adapted to provide rigidity of the grill assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a barbecue grill cart structure that is formed of at least two generally U-shaped tubular frame members, each formed by bending substantially contiguous tubular material with a first and second bend to define generally vertical first and second legs separated by an intermediate generally horizontal portion. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a barbecue grill frame structure that includes the steps of bending at least two segments of elongated tubular material into first and second U-shaped frame members. Each of such U-shaped members being made by forming two bends in each segment the tubular material, and providing at least one transverse member joining the U-shaped members with a clamping receiver to engage an extent of the first tubular segment at a first end of the transverse member, and another clamping receiver to engage an extent of the second tubular segment at a second end of the transverse member.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from consideration of the following specification and drawings.